Albert burton evenden



(No Model.)

' A. B. EVENDEN.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 429,122. Patented June 3, 1890.

l/vdmwwo/ (inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BURTON EVENDEN, OF WVATERTO \VN, NE\V YORK.

. CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,122, dated June 3, 1890. Application filed September 1, 1887. Renewed November 6, 1889. fierial No.329,397. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BURTON EVEN- DEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to railroad-car couplers.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a carcoupler embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the draw-bar head. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the draw-bar head on a reduced scale. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views,

hereinafter referred to. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a draw-bar head, showing modified form of my invention. Fig. 7 is an additional detail view, referred to farther on in the specification. Fig. 8 is a front end view of the draw-head, showing a modification of my invention.

My invention consists in the following construction and combination of parts, the features of which will first be fully set forth and described, and the points of novelty then in dicated in the claims.

1 represents a draw-bar head.

2 is a slot in the end of the draw-bar for the reception of the ordinary link-and-pin coupling.

3 is the pin-hole in the top of thehead for the reception of an ordinary link-pin.

4 is a hook formed on the upper side of the head, and 5 is a similarhook formed in the rear of hook t on the top of the draw-head at alower height than the first-mentioned hook. Fig. 8 shows the sides of one of the hooks beveled or inclined and forming an apex at the top of the hook. This construction facilitates the coupling of the cars, especially upon curves,-

and in cases where the links are not directly in line when in the act of coupling the beveled edges of the hook serve to bring the links in line with each other.

6 is a shoulder, preferably formed on opposite sides of the draw-head for the purpose of taking up the strain on the improved levers or arms of my invention, which will be here- .inafter explained.

7 is a slot formed in the opposite sides of the draw-head in front of the shoulders 6.

These before-mentioned features constitute the draw-head which I prefer to use in connection with my improvements.

In Fig. 6 the construction of the draw-head is slightly modified. The hook at is formed on the immediate front of the draw-head, and the slot- 7 is modified in form, in order to receive the pivots of lever-arms, which operate in a somewhat different manner from those shown in connection with the draw-head in Fig. 1. When the coupling-link 8 or the lever-arms 9 are forced back into the rear of the slot 7, as shown in Fig. 6, any danger of the links being accidentally thrown olf the hooks is prevented. The links when in such position are slack, as when the cars are being backed or on the downgrade. The projection 6 under the slot assists in keeping the links substantially horizontal. The slot in the draw-bar might be placed in the link 8 or lever-arms 9 and the device work with equally good results, the pin, which works in said slot, being placed on the draw-bar. The shoulder 6 is likewise difierently disposed, in order to co-operate with the slot and levers.

8 is the coupling-link, designed to pass over the hooks 4 and 5 (according to the height of a car) and couple therewith.

9- are the lever-arms, which are connected at one end to the rear ends of the coupling 8 and at the other end to the draw-head within the slots 7.

10 is a pivot on the rear ends of the arms 9, which enterand traverse the slots 7. The connections between the arms 9 and the coupling 8 are hinged by a hook-connection 11 and eye 12, or by any other suitable joint.

13 are projections formed on the rear end of the coupling 8, and which when forced against the lever-arms 9 look the joint between the two and render them rigid and parallel with each other.

- 1e are chains connected to the coupling 8, they being supported by levers 15, which are rigidly secured to a bell-crank arm 17. The arm or rod 17 is pivoted beneath the body of the car or other suitable point, so as to be operated from the sides or top of the car, and thereby raise or depress the coupling 8 when in the act of coupling cars.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the coupling itself is pivoted within the slot 7 of the draw-bar, so as to operate without the use of the pivoted lever-arms 9, Fig. 1, the latter being dispensed with altogether in such modified construction.

My coupling, it will be seen, admits of the ready coupling of cars having the ordinary link-and-pin coupling.

Thehook 4; is employed, mainly, in the coupling of cars the sizes of which are not uniform, while hook 5 is employed in the coupling of cars which are substantially uniform. It will be noticed that the hooks 4.- and 5 are of different heights, so as to readily adapt the coupling to the joining of cars the couplings of which are not uniformly the same height. These hooks may be made of any desired shape best adapted for the purpose, and may be cast solid with the draw-head or secured thereto in any known way. The same remarks are true of the shoulders or projections 6 and G.

The lever-arms 9 are for the purpose of taking up any slack in the coupling of cars, the 0071 plers of which are of varying heights. For th s purpose they are jointed or hinged to the coupling-link S and provided with pivots 10, which rise and fall freely in the slots 7.

The pivots 10 of the link-arms 9 may be cast therewith or be made separately and bolted or welded thereon.

It will be understood that the coupling 8 is adapted to be raised or to pass over the top of the coupler, to which it is to be united, and engage the hooks l or 5.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the coupling-link 8 works 1 independently ot the arms 9, and its rear ends are provided with pins or bosses form ed thereon, which play within the angularly-shaped slot 7 This rising-and-falling movement of both ends of the coupling-links admits of cars of variable heights being coupled and the takin g up of any slack in the couplinglinks.

The distance between the hooks 4 and 5 on the top of the draw-head may be varied,0r, if desired, only one hook may be used, or more than two hooks may be employed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-bar head having a hook or hooks upon the top of the head, a link secured to the head by a pin-and-slot connection, and a joint in the link intermediate of its length.

2. A draw-bar head provided with an oblique or curved slot in its sides and a link having a joint therein intermediate of its length and provided with a pin adapted to move within the slot, substantially as set forth.

3. A draw-bar head provided with a slot in its sides, a link adapted to work thereiu,and a stationary projection arranged upon the head in the rear of the slot.

4. The combination of a draw-bar head, a link which straddles the head, a pin-and-slot connection connecting the link and head, and a pivoted projecting arm above the link, and a projection formed on the side of the head and adapted to support the link against endwise thrust, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT BURTON EVENDEN. lVitnesses:

WILLIAM H. BAKER, .TonN D. THOMPSON. 

